


A Lesson in Hiding

by chilledalcity (orphan_account)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Closeted Character, Drinking, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, High School Student Harry, Kissing, M/M, Multi, Recreational Drug Use, Religious Guilt, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Slow Build, Smut, University Student Louis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-04-14 03:04:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4547751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/chilledalcity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With religion being a big part of his mother's life, Harry always kept who he was a secret. Instead of expressing himself, Harry isolated himself to a world of fictional romance novels, hoping he'd one day have his happy ending like the ones he read about.<br/>While going amongst his usual day, working his shift at his local market, Harry meets an older boy with rugged hair and bright blue eyes. But, with his preference being a secret, Harry has to make a few changes in order to make things work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Week One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. None of which I write depicts the real world.
> 
> This is my first ever Larry fic and my first fic on this site so excuse me if it's a bit crappy, I'm trying my best. 
> 
> Thank you to my beta,  thecolorispurple Thank you so much for taking the time to read this over! xx
> 
> This fic deals with Catholicism (mentions of the Catholic church and the bible). There is no major homophobia that takes place in this story, but if slight homophobia (a few homophobic slurs) still bothers you I suggest you to not read this. (I'm just listing all these things and realizing how unappealing I'm making my own fic sound. Please read it.) 
> 
> I put in songs that you can listen to while reading, but it's not required to understand the story. Other than that, I hope you guys enjoy! xx
> 
> PS - I'm from the US and translations are not my strong suit so excuse me if something is written in American English rather than British English (is that even what you call it?).

_[The Last Day on Earth - Kate Miller-Heidke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GU8Ekk8Pbs) _

**Friday - Week One**

Harry didn’t ask to be the way he was. He couldn’t have. How could he at so young with barely had an idea of what the world was? But it happened. From what little filled his head in the first few seconds of life, his mind was set to make Harry become a boy who only had an interest in playing the female role in the cheesy romance novels that he had become so fond of.

Whichever force decided that was how Harry would work- whether it was some sort of higher power (God as his mother liked to believe), fate, or science- must’ve had a fun time making Harry miserable. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to get turned on every time he saw a Calvin Klein poster featuring David Beckham posing half naked. He didn’t want to force a smile and take a step back every time a girl bat her eyelashes and brushed her hand against his arm. He didn’t want to constantly lie to his mother about being too busy with work and school to have a relationship. He didn’t want to be gay.

What Harry did want was to have more people in his life than just a few distant friends and his sister. He wanted to be able to talk freely to girls who were interested in him without feeling guilty that he was leading them on. He wanted an actual relationship outside of his daily routine of home, work, and school, which did nothing to occupy him.

But Harry knew that he couldn’t have any of those things. He knew being gay was normal. However, with homosexuality generally being heavily frowned upon by his mother’s religion, he felt like being gay was wrong, and knew it wasn’t something he could be open about.

So, instead of being social and making friends at his school, Harry isolated himself during the week, quietly dragging on each day. He went from school, to work, and then back home, only to rinse and repeat. His weekends were spent watching romantic comedies with his sister or locking himself away in his room with a romance novel, only stepping outdoors to accompany his mother to church on Sunday mornings.

Rubbing his eyes sleepily, Harry stared up at the ceiling with a frown on his face. He looked over to the clock on his nightstand to see the alarm was set to go off in less than thirty minutes. Figuring his hopes for sleep were ruined, he pushed himself up from his bed and walked down the stairs to find his mum sipping on a cup of tea in the living room as she flipped through a magazine.

“Hi mum,” he mumbled as he walked into the kitchen, grabbing an apple from the bowl of fruit on the counter.

“Hi sweetie,” she smiled, looking up from her current page, “Sleep alright?” Harry rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. “Actually, not really,” he looked down at his feet, covered with a pair of fuzzy socks, “I didn’t sleep the entire night and I was wondering if I can stay home today.”

She narrowed her eyes as she contemplated what Harry had said. This wasn’t a usual thing for Harry to ask; in fact, his attendance was nearly perfect. Even on the nights where he didn’t get any sleep, he’d pull himself together and force himself to go to school. However, there were a couple of days where he did need a break.

“Harry-”

“Yes mum, I’m okay,” he forced a small smile to reassure her. “I think I just need a day to get some rest and maybe do some extra credit work. I’ll still go to work, but I really need to get some sleep.” He looked hopefully at her as her face relaxed a bit and she rolled her eyes jokingly. “Oh, alright sleepyhead,” she nodded as Harry walked over to her and gave her a hug.

“Have a good day at work,” he kissed the top of her head before letting out a rather large yawn. “You really are tired, aren’t you?” she laughed before getting up and heading into the kitchen. He stood in his place for a few seconds, letting his eyes fall shut for a moment.

Heading back into his room, Harry began to feel the exhaustion take a toll his legs. Dragging his feet to his bed, he climbed under the undone cover and pulled it to his chin. He closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.

* * *

 

_[Falling Away - Big Scary](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIdnFSYlrJA) _

Reading was one of Harry's favourite pass times, it being one of his only. He liked analyzing the author's style of writing and comparing it to other authors. He liked following a plot line, watching everything change from the beginning to the end. He liked finding every detail about every character and every place.

But he never could understand what people meant when they said 'reading lets you escape', because Harry was never able to enter the world of a book as one of the characters. Instead, reading was a way of distracting him from the fact that he didn’t have friends, and was reading instead of going out and being social.

Harry sighed and closed the book on his lap, some Nicholas Sparks book that he was shamefully reading for at least the third time. Every time he read a romantic novel- his go to genre- he always wished he could be the one wrapped in the chiseled arms of the gorgeous man with a troubled past. He wished he could be the one to get kissed passionately under the pouring rain. He wished he could be the quiet one that the obnoxious but secretly sweet jock fell for. He wished he didn't wish all of these things because it only made him feel worse.

Tossing the book onto his bed, he glanced to the bookshelf in the corner of his room. He looked over the books he had collected, and shook his head in shame knowing how much time he had spent reading. Deciding to ignore how pathetic he was, Harry walked over to his dresser and picked out a pair of tight black trousers and a loose, white short sleeved shirt. He tossed the outfit on and looked up at the mirror sitting atop the drawer. His lips turned downwards as he observed his reflection, brushing his long, curly hair back with his fingers.

Taking a deep breath, Harry began to head out his room, grabbing the book on his bed as he passed it. He rushed down the stairs and sat on the floor next to his front door, placing his book beside him. He grabbed his only pair of shoes, a pair of beat-up sneakers, and pulled them on as he heard the click of the door unlocking.

In came Gemma, who smiled down at him, noticing him right away. "Off to work?" she asked, as if she didn't know already. Harry nodded, jumping to his feet, book back in hand.

Gemma noticed the book and scoffed, "Again?"

Harry shrugged, turning a bit pink at the remark. "Well, have fun at work," she laughed, nudging his shoulder. Harry nodded, giving Gemma a tight hug before heading out of the house. "Hope you meet the boy of your dreams today," she yelled as Harry turned to glare at her. He heard her loud cackle as he shut the door. Looking around, he let out a breath, relieved that nobody had heard.

Gemma was the only one who knew Harry preferred his own gender. She figured it out on her own about a year ago, picking up on small details such as Harry’s reaction when a girl from school tried to be a bit flirty with him. Although not showing interest in one girl wasn't something that would make Harry automatically gay, she went to ask that night, only for him to have a ten minute breakdown.

However, she took it extremely well, letting him know that there was nothing wrong with being gay, and if he ever needed help, all he had to do was ask. They spent the rest of the night gushing over the lead male in one of their romantic comedies.

But Gemma was the only one to know. Harry couldn't tell the rest of his family, and made sure she knew this.

"You have to tell mum one day, Harry," she’d say.

"Why?" he'd reply, "I'm going to college soon and then I'll be out of the house."

She would shake her head, "But what about marriage? What happens when you want to marry the man you love, what will you do then?"

It always left Harry at a loss for words because she was right. Harry wanted to get married. But he couldn’t without his mother finding out he was gay, and she wouldn’t react well to the news. So Harry's dreams of having a happy family in the future were a bust.

* * *

 

_[Indian Summer - How Sad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5Ln8RJuK-w) _

Harry got off the bus and began the short walk to the entrance of his local market. He observed his surroundings as he walked, it consisting of leaves turning different shades of orange and yellow and falling to the ground. He felt cold air hit his face and shivered a bit, noting that he should have brought a jacket.

He glanced at the sale board as he walked through the automatic doors, a gush of warm air hitting him. He grinned a bit at the faint familiar smell of fruit as he walked to his checkout aisle, grabbing his waist apron from the hook on the manager’s office door.

As he tied the apron around him, he looked up to see Liam at the checkout aisle in front of him. He smiled at him, quickly looking away to prevent any eye contact.

"Hey Harry," Liam suddenly called, as Harry forced himself not to groan.

"Hi Liam," he mumbled back, reaching over to the 'next aisle' sign on his checkout and putting it to the side. Liam was one of Harry's few acquaintances, probably his closest. He had known Liam for about a year and a half, Liam getting a job at the market half a year after Harry.

Even with knowing Liam for so long, Harry knew practically nothing about him; he didn't even know his last name. All he knew was that Liam was two years older than him and went to a university not far away,  the same one as his sister. He was your typical university boy, hair done up in a quiff or covered with a snap back, always wearing the same pullover with his university's name written on it.

He seemed like an all-around nice person, but Harry never made an attempt at getting to know him and vice versa. The only contact the two usually made was either greeting each other or Liam would make a comment about something and Harry would politely nod along. Occasionally, Liam would ask for help with something. Other than that, the two kept to themselves. Today was one of those days where Liam asked for help.

"So, Harry," Liam paused as Harry looked up at him. He watched as a customer walked up to Liam's aisle and began to unload their basket of groceries. "There's a party in my hall tonight," he informed as he began checking the items. "One of my friends is coming along soon to get everything that's needed."

Harry nodded cautiously at the comment, wondering where this was going. "The problem is that being uni students, we don't really have that much money," he continued, checking another item. "All of us lads put our money together, but I still think that we won't be able to afford everything. So, I was wondering if you could somehow take some of the cost off and let us pay you back another day."

Harry hesitated, not sure if he should do it or not. "Why can't you do it?" Harry blurted out, wincing slightly at how blunt the question sounded. Liam packed the items into grocery bags and smiled at the customer as they grabbed the bags and walked off. He turned and looked at Harry, an expectant look in his eyes.

"I just think the boss likes you better," he explained. "I've been yelled at by him at least ten times in the last year and a half and you haven't been yelled at once. I think it's a safer bet for you to do it instead of me." Harry contemplated his decision for a minute before giving in, sighing and nodding his head.

"I guess I can do it," he agreed quietly as an excited grin appeared on Liam's face. "Thanks so much, Harry," he smiled. "I knew I could count on you." He turned back to his aisle and waited for the next customer. "He should be here soon and I'll point him to your aisle," Liam announced as Harry turned back to his own station.

* * *

 

_[You - The 1975](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsC-UkN328g) _

After about an hour on the shift, a male that looked Liam's age walked into the market. He glanced around and spotted Liam standing at his aisle. Harry watched as he walked over to him and greeted Liam with a pat on the back. The two talked secretively as Liam handed him a paper that looked like a shopping list and pointed over to his direction. Harry quickly retracted his gaze, trying to look like he wasn't blatantly staring.

"Sounds good mate," he heard the other boy say to Liam as Harry looked up to see him walking towards the vast aisles of food. He fidgeted with his fingers as he waited for the boy to come back with loads of groceries. He didn't want to get caught doing this. He needed this job.

With his grades, Harry had managed to get a scholarship to pay off his tuition for university, but he still needed money for living and books. This market was the only place close to Harry that paid a somewhat decent amount. If he was fired from this job, he could kiss his dreams of sharing a house with a bunch of other students and hopefully making the group of close friends he always wanted goodbye.

And that wasn't the only thing he was nervous about. Having a customer meant talking to them, and talking to people wasn’t something he was good at. Throw in the fact that this was a friend of Liam and that Liam was going to be watching the two of them interact. If Liam didn’t already think he was the most awkward person on the planet, he would definitely know after this.

As his anxiety continued to build, the boy arrived at Harry's checkout aisle. He placed two big baskets filled with crisps and beer on top of the checkout and began taking them out. "Harry, is it?" the boy asked, looking at Harry with hard eyes.

Harry's heart dropped as he grabbed the first item and swiped it, placing it in a plastic bag. "Y-yeah," he nodded slightly as the boy giggled a bit. What was he giggling at? What did Harry do to make him giggle?

"Name's Louis," the boy smiled up at Harry, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Louis Tomlinson."

Harry nodded once again, keeping his eyes pointed down towards the items he was scanning. "Are you good friends with Liam?" he asked awkwardly, hoping the introduction from Louis was an invitation to small talk.

"Known him since the beginning of year nine," Louis answered as Harry continued checking the items. He didn't really know what else to say. What do you talk about with a boy you just met at your local market?

"Not much of a talker, are you?" Louis questioned as Harry felt himself blush at the comment.

"Guess not," he mumbled in reply as Louis hummed a bit. After Harry swiped the last item, he looked up at Louis to find the boy already staring at him.

His ashy brunette hair was styled purposefully messy, outlining the thin structure of his fair skinned face. He had a slight stubble growing, making his sharp cheekbones pop out. The small wrinkles surrounding his eyes as he smiled brought out their soft blue colour.

"That’ll be a hundred pounds," Harry said as he looked at the screen to his side.

Louis took out the money from his pocket and sighed, "We only managed to gather sixty."

Harry sucked in a sharp breath before nodding. "It's okay," he said hesitantly, "You'll pay it back."

Louis flashed another grin before grabbing the bags in his hands. "Nice meeting you, Harry," he said as Harry looked down at his feet making Louis giggle once again.

"See you tonight, Li," Louis called as Liam waved back and then he was gone. Harry let out a long breath and slouched his shoulders a bit as he relaxed. He really did need to work on the talking part of social interactions more, seeing as he usually just nodded and smiled when he was talked to. "Thanks again, mate," Liam smiled at Harry, ending their contact for the rest of Harry's shift.

 


	2. Week One - Pt 2

[Pockets by Finish Ticket](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8LhbRe0eqo)

**Saturday**

Saturday morning came around and Harry was at his peak.  Asides from Mondays, Fridays were the one school day of the week that Harry dreaded the most because it was the day everyone was making plans, leaving Harry to constantly beat himself up over the fact that he wasn’t part of any of them. So he was glad he got to skip it the day before and get some extra sleep. And now that it was Saturday only made things better because that meant spending time with Gemma.

Harry pushed himself out of his bed, a contempt smile on his face as he went to brush his teeth. After spitting into the sink and rinsing his mouth, he looked into the mirror in front of him and shrugged. He couldn’t be bothered to do anything about the mess on his head, knowing his sister would look just as messy.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Harry walked downstairs to see his mother was already heading out the door.  

“Bye sweetie,” she called out, blowing a kiss in Harry’s direction, “Gemma’s in the kitchen.”

Harry waved back as his mother left the house and turned his head to see Gemma sitting at the kitchen counter, drinking some orange juice.

Before Harry could walk over, his mum came walking back into the house. “Oh Harry,” she spoke, seeming to remember something.

Harry looked back over at her and nodded for her to go on. “Are you coming to church tomorrow morning?” she asked, the corners of Harry’s lips pulling down slightly.

“Oh, um,” Harry looked down and rubbed the back of his neck.

 She did this every week, always asking Harry to accompany her. And although he always wanted to say no, he also didn’t want to see the letdown expression on her face if he did. Harry didn’t know why she always bothered asking again because his answer was always the same.

“Of course,” he forced a smile, looking up to see the sparkle in her eyes. A big grin spread on her face as she walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Alright well, have fun with Gem today,” she nodded before heading off for good.

Harry sighed and shook his head before walking over to the kitchen, spotting the sympathetic smile Gemma was giving him.

 “Mum left you a plate of biscuits and jam with fruit in the fridge,” she pointed. Harry grabbed the plate and poured himself some water, sitting down across from Gemma at the table.

“Did you stay here last night?” Harry asked, taking a bite from one of the biscuits, “I fell asleep rather early.”  Gemma rolled her eyes in reply.

“Liam and his lads threw a huge party,” she answered, taking a sip from her cup, “I hung around for a little while, but I knew I wouldn’t get any sleep there if I stayed for the night.”

Harry nodded, taking note that it was most likely the whole university who was at the party and not just Liam’s hall.

“Liam’s friend, Louis, came by to buy everything needed for it yesterday,” Harry informed, “Had to take money off of the purchase because he didn’t have enough but he’s paying back.”

Gemma scoffed at the name.  “Louis,” she shook her head, “Don’t know why Liam keeps that kid around, the boy’s a child.”

Harry widened his eyes at his sister’s distaste towards Louis thinking he didn’t seem bad when he was scanning his items the previous day.

“Quite a looker though, isn’t he?” Gemma winked as Harry flushed a darker shade of pink. She was right, he was a looker, but it definitely wasn’t something for Harry to think about.

“Hush,” he fussed before getting up and placing his dish into the sink.

“So, what’s the first movie for today,” he turned on his heel and placed his hands on his hips causing Gemma to let out a small laugh.

 She contemplated for a minute before shrugging. “Your choice,” she answered, “Though I’m really in the mood for some Katherine Heigl.”

“27 dresses it is then,” Harry beamed, walking out from the kitchen and heading up to his room, Gemma following.

 Grabbing his laptop from his desk, he flopped onto his bed, adjusting himself onto his stomach. Gemma mimicked his actions as he opened the laptop, clicking the little icon which led to Netflix and starting the first out of the many movies to come.

* * *

 

The sun had already set and Harry and Gemma were still in the same position they were in at the beginning of the day. The only difference was that they now had an empty bowl of popcorn sitting between them, only the unpopped kernels remaining. The two of them went through three films, all three of them being ones that they’d watched before.

Gemma pushed herself up and repositioned herself too lie on her back, her head on one of Harry’s pillows. Harry did the same, turning to face her with.

“God, I’d screw Katherine any day,” Gemma admitted making Harry let out a loud cackle.

“I’m more of a Jennifer Anniston kind of guy,” Harry said as Gemma scoffed.

“How typical,” she rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively, a smile remaining on her face.

“Let’s face it though,” she glanced over at Harry, “We both know you’re the Josh Duhamel type of guy.”

Harry pouted, pretending to be upset as he shoved Gemma’s arm. She giggled, doing the same to Harry and causing him to let out a slight yelp.

“Anyways, I better go get ready to head back to the uni,” she said, standing from the bed and turning to face Harry.

He frowned at her words, not wanting her to leave so soon. “I know, I know. I want to stay too, but I’ve got an early class tomorrow and I can’t be bothered to wake up even earlier just to head over there from here.”

Harry sighed and nodded his head, waving her off. “It’s fine,” he mumbled as he sat up and reached for his laptop at the end of the bed.

Gemma grinned before leaning over and nuzzling Harry’s head with her hand. As she made her way out of the room, she stopped at the door and turned back around.

“Hey Harry,” she cleared her throat. Harry turned his head in her direction and looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to go on. “You know you don’t have to go to church with mum if you don’t want to.”

Harry shrugged his shoulders, looking back at his laptop’s screen, “I just don’t want to see her upset.” Gemma stared at him for a moment before letting out and exasperated breath and nodding.

“I don’t want to see you upset either, Harry,” she muttered as she walked out of the room, leaving Harry to himself for the rest of the night.

* * *

 

[Prey by The Neighbourhood](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnl3aGNjV5o)

**Sunday**

“Harry hon,” a voice cooed as Harry creaked his eyes open, blinded by the brightness around him. He felt a hand on his shoulder as he pulled his covers over his head, letting out a loud groan. “Harry, come on,” the voice continued, the hand shaking Harry’s body gently.

Harry shook his head, shooing the hand on his shoulder away with his own.

“We’ll be late, Harry,” the voice nagged, a more stern tone to it.

He remained still, and for a second he thought that she was gone. But, instead of letting him fall back asleep, Anne ripped the cover away from the boy.

Harry curled into himself, goose bumps littering over his bare arms at the gust of cold air.

“Fine,” he mumbled before pushing himself up from the bed. Anne shook her head, a fond smile on her lips as she followed him out of the room.

“Breakfast is ready,” she called, parting ways from him as she walked downstairs.

Harry started his usual morning routine for Sunday’s by turning on the shower, placing his hand under the streaming water for a few seconds to test the temperature. Quickly hopping in, Harry lathered his hair in shampoo and conditioner, rinsing it out before cleaning his body with some sort of cheap body wash.

As he stepped out, Harry grabbed the two towels that were hanging neatly on a towel rack. After drying off any excess water, he wrapped one towel around his hair and one around his waist before turning on the sink and brushing his teeth.

After about ten minutes, Harry came down to the kitchen, dressed as nicely as he could manage in a black buttoned dress shirt and the usual black pair of jeans.

 “Morning sleepyhead,” Anne laughed, sitting at the dining table and reading the morning’s paper.

“Morning,” Harry replied as he grabbed his plate of breakfast from the kitchen counter and sat across from her.

Flipping to the next page of the paper, she looked up at the boy and smiled. Harry kept his eyes drawn towards his food, taking a bite of the meal.

“Hungry?” Anne teased as Harry shrugged.

“Guess so.”

The two sat in silence as Harry finished off his meal bite by bite, the only clear sound in the room being his chewing and the occasional turn of a page. Moments passed before Anne finally folded up the paper and pushed it to the side.

“So, did you have fun with Gem yesterday?” she asked, trying to strike up a conversation. Harry swallowed, taking a sip from his glass of water.

“Always do,” Harry grinned as he stood and walked over to the kitchen, washing his dishes and drying them off.

“Are we ready to go?” he asked, not wanting to talk much more.

Anne stared at Harry for a few seconds, a confused look in her eyes. Harry shifted awkwardly in his place, focusing far too much on one of the chairs around the dining table.

“Sorry mum,” he mumbled, “I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.”

“Well, we better get going then,” she nodded, standing up from her chair, “You can sleep on the drive over.”

* * *

 

The hours at church went by slowly, like they always do. Harry struggled to keep his eyes open as the priest went over a verse from the bible that Harry had heard tons of times before. Anne nudged his side every time she noticed him dozing off, shooting him a glare.

Eventually, the collection plate was passed around and Harry gleefully reached for his wallet from his back pocket, tossing in some money before passing the plate on to his mum. She did the same and soon enough the two of them were exiting the church, exchanging a few smiles and words with the priest before stepping out.

Both of them got into the car and began driving back home. Harry leaned his head back against the seat, shutting his eyes to take a nap from the rest of the ride but Anne had other plans in mind.

“Harry, are you sure you’re alright?” she glanced over at the boy, concern in her eyes. Harry opened his eyes and nodded, looking out the window.

“I’m fine mum. Really,” he reassured, forcing a smile and nodding at her.

“You always act like this on Sunday mornings,” she complained. “Is going to service really that bad?” she asked as Harry sighed.

He shook his head, knowing that telling her the truth would only make her upset.

“It’s not that mum,” he shook his head, “I think it’s just knowing that I have to go back to school the next day.”

“You’re not being bullied, are you?” more worry flashing in her eyes.

“Of course not,” he waved his hand dismissively, “I’d tell you if something was going on at school. You know that.”

“It’s just that you never really bring any friends ov-”

“Mum. I’m fine.”

That ended the conversation for the rest of the drive. Harry made it clear to his mother that he was touchy on the subject of his social life and she understood, but it still didn’t stop her from bringing it up from time to time. She was a good mother and good mothers cared about their children’s lives, so it was only natural for her to worry. And, as much as it pained Harry to see her worry so much, he knew it was best to leave the situation as it was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I haven't posted in months, but I ran into some trouble with this fic. I had this chapter written for quite a while, but the problem is that I lost my beta. I wasn't really comfortable posting without having my work looked over, but I couldn't really find a good beta either so I decided to just post with the hopes that my proofreading is enough. I hope you guys still enjoyed this chapter and feel free to leave a kudos or comment to let me know what you think!
> 
> P.S.  
> If anyone wants to volunteer to beta this story, email me at alexakhramov@gmail.com and we can work something out. Thanks! xx


	3. Week Two

[Sorry – Life in Film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vXOtrJtFrY)

**Monday – Week Two**

Lunch was probably the worst part of Harry’s school day. Due to his isolation in class, Harry never really had anywhere to sit. Of course, there’d be those who would invite Harry to sit at their table, but Harry knew it was just a pity invite and he’d only feel like a bother if he accepted.

So, instead of sitting in the cafeteria with all the others, Harry would scurry off into the library for the duration of the hour. Students weren’t normally allowed there during lunch, but the librarian grew a liking to Harry so she always made an exception for him.

“Hello Louise,” he smiled as he entered that Monday, “Having a nice day?”

She mirrored his grin and nodded. “As always,” she replied cheerily, “What about you?”

Harry shrugged, looking down at the ground, “Like always for me.” That always ended the conversation for the two, Louise never knowing how to reply to the comment and simply throwing a sympathetic nod.

Harry walked over to his usual seat at the back corner of the library and took his phone and earphones out from his bag, putting his playlist on shuffle. He pulled his book out and kicked his feet up on the table, smirking a bit before continuing the page he left on the day before.

After school, Harry always had a bit of time left before having to head off to work. As expected, he’d always spend that time under the same tree outside his school, reading. When it got too cold or too hot, Harry would go straight to work, but it was only the beginning of autumn and Harry had a jacket. So, he sat under the tree and read.

About ten minutes into reading, Harry was interrupted. “Hey Harry,” someone said as he looked up from his current page, “How’s it going?”

A girl from his maths class looked down at him, standing confidently where she was. “Mind if I sit?” she asked and Harry shook his head, shifting a bit to the side.

“I love that book,” she pointed out, looking down at the Nicholas Sparks book in Harry’s lap, “I didn’t know you were one for romance novels.” Harry shrugged, not bothering to say anything on the fact. “I’m personally a huge fan of Jane Austin,” she continued, trying to strike up a conversation.

“Is Pride and Prejudice the only thing you’ve read?” Harry suddenly asked, widening his eyes at how rude he must’ve sounded. But, she didn’t seem to pay any mind to the comment.

“Well, yeah,” she answered honestly, “But, it was amazing. I’m sure I’ll get around to reading the others.” Harry nodded politely and looked back down to his book, not knowing what else to say.

“Anyways,” she blurted out causing Harry to look back at her, “I’m sure you must’ve heard about the party going on this weekend at the university nearby.” Harry practically huffed at the comment; another party and it’s only been a day? He shook his head, not surprised that he hadn’t heard about said party until now.

“Oh well, there’s a party going on there,” she explained, “And, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go with me?” She slowly placed her hand on Harry’s arm and batted her eyelashes, giving him a small smile. “It’ll be super fun,” she pushed.

Harry’s stomach turned as he thought of an excuse to get him out of it. Parties were definitely not his thing. The whole getting drunk and having sex with a person only to never speak to them again fiasco was not something Harry went by, especially if it was with a girl.

“Um, I’m actually sort of busy this weekend,” he lied, shifting his eyes to the ground, “I’ve got to… um… help out my mum with some errands.”Harry watched as the girl frowned at the reply, looking down at her laps. He hated this. This was always the worst part; having to lie to a girl that just wanted to take you out because you can’t tell her you’re gay.

“Oh, it’s okay,” she stated sadly as she pushed herself up from the ground. “Sorry,” Harry mumbled, feeling absolutely terrible.

“No, no. It’s totally fine,” she reassured grimly, “I’ll see you around.” And, then she was off. Harry watched her catch up with a few friends as they gave her hugs and pats on the back.

After waiting for a few moments, Harry got up as well, deciding he might as well head to work since he was no longer in the mood to read.

* * *

[Lowlife - X Ambassadors ft. Jamie N. Commons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDTGdxhJIaQ)

It was nearing the end of Harry’s shift and he spent the entire time feeling absolutely terrible. He scanned items and packed groceries with a scowl on his face, mumbling the prices and dully nodding every time a customer said, “Have a good day.” It always ruined his mood when he had to reject a girl.

“Harry,” Liam called out from his aisle, “You feeling alright, mate?” Harry shrugged, not really feeling up to lying anymore. Liam frowned as Harry put up his ‘next aisle’ sign.

“Well, the party was great,” Liam beamed and Harry looked up at him.

“I heard there’s another this weekend,” Harry muttered, frowning slightly but Liam shook his head.

“That’s not our doing. I probably won’t be going to that one,” he stated, “But, ours was a good time.”

“My sister told me about it, though she didn’t stay for long,” Harry added, glad Liam had something to talk about to take his mind off of the earlier incident, “Do you know Gemma?” Liam nodded knowingly, seeming surprised.

“Of course, great girl,” he chimed, “Didn’t know she was your sister.” Harry grinned slightly, not knowing Gemma was a friend of Liam’s.

“Are you friends?” Harry asked and Liam nodded. “Been friends since the first year at the university,” he informed.

“She doesn’t have a huge liking towards Louis though,” he laughed, appearing to remember something.

“She called him a child this morning,” Harry noted making Liam snicker.

“He definitely has his moments of immaturity,” Liam stated as Harry listened intently, “But, he’s a good guy, one of the best people that I know.”

And, just as if he was on cue, Louis came strutting into the market. “Hey mate,” he called out across the place, causing a few people to turn and glare in his direction. Harry watched as he walked over to Liam and nuzzled his head. “I sure feel like shit,” he laughed as Liam shook his head.

“Tylenol is in the back,” he answered as Louis nodded and sauntered off.

He came back in a few seconds and walked over to Harry’s aisle. “Are we really closed?” he asked, a small pout on his lips causing Harry to giggle a bit. Harry reached out his hand and Louis beamed, handing him the bottle of pills.

“That’s two pounds,” he said as Louis reached into his pocket.

“I’ll give you seven,” he placed the money in Harry’s hand, “Won a bet today and figured I’d give you my prize.” Harry opened the register and placed the cash inside before raising a brow at Louis.

“Still thirty-five left,” he informed as Louis let out a quick chuckle. “All in time, kid,” he smirked before turning to Liam.

“Li, can you give me a ride?” he asked as Liam nodded and untied his waist apron, tossing it under his checkout. The two of them began to head out, Liam waving to Harry before stopping himself.

“Actually Harry, do you want a ride?” Liam suggested, “I’d be glad to give you one.” Harry thought for a second before shrugging and catching up to the two.

* * *

As Liam drove, Harry stared silently out the window, bopping his fingers lightly against his thigh to the hushed music coming from the stereo. He struggled not to glance over to his other side, feeling Louis’ eyes on him. Shifting uncomfortably under his stare, Harry strained to turn his head as far as possible in attempt to hide his flushed cheeks.

“Do you stay at a dorm? What uni do you go to because I haven’t seen you around and I definitely would’ve noticed you” Louis suddenly said causing Harry to jump a little.

“I’m in upper sixth,” he mumbled.

Louis’ eyes widened as he started up the car again, “Really? I could’ve sworn you were my age, maybe older.” Harry huffed and shook his head. “Only eighteen,” he stated hesitantly, “But, thank you.”

“Don’t be so quick to grow up, kid,” Louis spoke, a distant tone in his voice, “You find yourself actually missing secondary school.” Harry stayed quiet at the comment, having heard this several times from other adults.

“Would you though? Stay at a dorm,” he asked once again and Harry nodded quickly. Staying at a dorm was definitely Harry’s only option if he wanted to have a bit more freedom. “Of course,” he answered, careful not to tell too much, “I think it’d be good for me.”

“I’ve got quite a few sisters so it’s not really an option for me to leave my mum on her own to care for all of them,” Louis sighed as Harry looked over at him. He smiled at the fact that Louis cared for his family so much that he was willing to go back and forth to his university just to help them out.

“What about you, you’ve got any siblings?” Louis glanced at Harry before looking back at the road.

Harry nodded, not knowing if Louis returned the hate for Gemma. “You know Gemma?” Harry looked over to Louis to see a smirk on his lips, “She goes to your university.”

“Oh, she really doesn’t like me,” Louis chuckled as Harry looked away, “But yeah, she’s a nice girl.” Liam pulled his car to a stop and turned to back Harry, flashing him a smile. Harry returned the grin before stepping out of the car.

“Thanks for the ride,” he said, leaning down to see Liam. “Anytime,” he replied.

Harry shut the car door before walking to his house, turning around to wave. Louis rolled down his window shouting, “Nice talking,” as the car began to move.

Harry watched the car disappear into the distance. Smiling to himself, Harry unlocked the door to his house and stepped inside, slipping off his shoes.

He greeted his mom with a kiss on the head. “How was your day, honey?” she looked up at him. “Not that bad, actually,” he grinned, “I’m knackered though. I think I’ll skip dinner and go to sleep early tonight.” She nodded before he headed upstairs.

Stripping down to just his pants and climbing under his covers, Harry couldn’t wipe off the small beam on his face. It was different today. Not much of a change, but he didn’t walk today. He was driven by Liam and wasn’t repulsed by Louis like Gemma seemed to be. As Harry drifted off to sleep, he wondered if maybe he’d be able to soon consider these two as actual friends.

* * *

[Peaches- In the Valley Below](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3rnpYjFyCw)

**Friday**

“Alright class,” Mr. Laurent clapped as all the others around Harry quieted their chatter and turned their attention to the front.

Harry tapped his pen nervously as he glanced around at his fellow classmates. He observed each and every one, summing up how much they’d be okay with his subdued personality. He knew whenever Mr. Laurent got the classes attention like this, it meant he was about to assign a project. It was only about a month into first term so Harry had to familiarise himself with an all new set of people; excluding the group of students who’d he’d been in classes with in his past years.

“As I’m sure you all know and are all excited about,” Mr. Laurent started off, clearing his throat before continuing, “this is your last year in secondary school.” The class erupted into cheers, Harry even perking up a bit in his seat.

“So, since I’m the cool guy around here, instead of assigning you a twenty page essay on a topic I know you won’t talk about ever again for the rest of your lives,” Mr. Laurent smirked, “I’ve decided to pair you up for a project to work on for the rest of the year.”

The class still proceeded to collectively groan as Mr. Laurent rolled his eyes, not expecting anything different. “Well, if you guys prefer the essay, I could give you that instead,” he called out, immediately shutting everybody up.

“Okay, well with that settled, your project will be to create a depiction of one of the most important moments in your lives and the moments leading up to it,” Mr. Laurent explained, “I’ll be pairing you up and I hope you all understand that this is a big grade so I expect you all to be as creative as possible.”

Harry sunk back down into his seat the minute he heard the word ‘pair’. He should’ve been happy about this; it was a great chance to actually get to know someone on a personal level. But, the idea of sharing anything personal with someone he barely knew terrified Harry. He wasn’t even fully open about everything in his life with his own mother.

Harry waited impatiently as Mr. Laurent went down the list of names, some people clapping joyfully and giving each other pats on backs while others groan and roll eyes. Harry hoped his discomfort with his mother’s religion wouldn’t have an impact on him with whatever was up there deciding to give him hell as a partner.

“Harry Styles,” Mr. Laurent suddenly called out and Harry’s heart dropped. He looked up feeling like he was being hung by the little amount of space it seemed his throat was giving him to breathe. “You’ll be with Niall Horan.”

Harry looked towards the room to find if anybody is looking back at him. His eyes connected with a bleach blonde haired boy across the room, a gleeful smile across his face. Harry gave a small grin back and glanced down at his hands.

He’s seen this boy before and he seemed fairly alright. He was never in a class with him before but he’s seen him in the halls, the boy catching his eye every once in a while due to his noise level. He was quite a loud person, his laugh riveting through the corridors when passing Harry with his small group of friends. Though, this made Harry a bit nervous.

He knew that since this guy was such an extroverted spirit, there was a chance that he wouldn’t really appreciate Harry’s introverted ways. Though, there could be a second turnout where Niall would just end up filling the awkward silences with his endless chatter. Harry actually prayed that this wouldn’t turn out to be as excruciating as he was making himself think.

Harry suddenly heard the clearing of a throat and glanced up to be met with a big gleam and a hand. “Harry,” Niall acknowledged as Harry reluctantly held out his hand to shake with Niall’s.

Niall pulled over a chair nearby and plopped down, looking expectantly up to Harry as if wanting him to say something. But, Harry didn’t know what he wanted him to say. There was nothing to say. Harry could already feel his palms start to clam up with anxiety.

“Relax mate,” Niall chuckled, “I know how you are.”

Harry looked Niall in the eye, his brows furrowed. “Know how I am?”

“Yeah,” Niall waved dismissively, “I’ve seen you around, alone with your head tucked into a book. Interesting how it’s usually a romance novel I’ve already seen you with two months prior. You’re a quiet lad, I get it. I’m not going to pressure you into saying things you don’t want to say. After all, I’m sure you’re already being put on the spot with having to share an intimate moment in your life with someone you barely know, don’t want you stressin’ over even more. “

Harry stayed silent but a relieved sigh escaped his mouth. Whatever God there was must’ve been in his favour because so far Niall seemed like the saint of all project partners. A slight smile spread on Harry’s lips as he nodded.

“I was thinking we head over to my boyfriend’s uni to figure out a basic plan of what we’re doing,” Niall paused but before continuing, Harry interrupted.

“Boyfriend?” he questioned, way too eager for his own liking.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those homophobes with their heads stuck up their arses?”

“No, no! I’ve just never met someone who was so open about it.”

“Nothing to not be open about.”

Harry tore his stare away from Niall and directed it towards the ground. He wished he could say the same for himself but Niall must’ve had a supportive company. All Harry had was his sister and she definitely wouldn’t be able to help when all of his mother’s church was looking down upon his family all because of him.

“Harry?” Niall’s voice interrupted Harry’s train of thought.

“What? Oh, sorry,” Harry mumbled, his cheeks grazed with a slight tint of pink, “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Great, so I’ll meet you outside the main entrance after last class,” Niall noted while stuffing his papers into his bag.

Harry didn’t even have the chance to agree before Niall ran after a pair of what Harry assumed was his friends. He sat there for a few moments, trying to gather himself after that rush of energetic, mostly one-sided conversation. He wondered to himself if that’s how it’ll be for the eternity of this project. Maybe Harry would actually be quick to warm up to Niall’s vibrant personality; at least he hoped.

Mr. Laurent soon cleared his throat, catching the attention of Harry and signaling towards the time to let Harry know he’ll be late for his next class if he didn’t speed it up. Harry threw a quick, bashful smile before hopping up and rushing out the door.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JFC guys I know I really suck at updating regularly. Asides from having quite a busy schedule with school and after school stuff, I'm also a lazy sack. I'll try harder to update more often but I'm not making any promises. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought by leaving a kudos or comment and thanks for reading!
> 
> Again, if there's anything off with the translation in this (i'm from the us), don't hesitate to correct me. Also, like I said before, if there's anyone willing to beta for me, email me at alexakhramov@gmail.com
> 
> Thanks! xx


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